Cherry Bombe Jubilee

Last weekend I had the honor of the attending the inaguaral Cherry Bombe Jubilee after-party at Corkbuzz, sponsored by OpenTable. Cherry Bombe is this ridiculously gorgeous biannual magazine all about women and food, highlighting and exploring all of their culinary accomplishments.

More than ever, food has become a primary focus in our society, from the chef-as-celebrity icon to reality TV shows to the locavore movement, just to give a few examples. One of the biggest controveries as of late was the Time magazine list called "Gods of Food" which, not only was predominately male, but also ignored female chefs, causing much backlash. It was the smashed plate heard 'round the world.

Ironically, until the past 50 years, a woman's place was supposedly the kitchen, where she oversaw the home and wellbeing of her family. So why are women chefs, who are in essence doing the same thing in a restaurant kitchen, largely overlooked? Why does it feel like Sysyphus pushing the rock up the mountain when it comes to creating equality in the professional realm?

The magazine couldn't have come at a better time. Its celebration of women in all aspects of the culinary world, not just in the restaurant kitchen, is exciting and invigorating. It's inspirational in how it showcases their innovations in the food world. Did I mention aesthetically it should be displayed as a coffee table book?

Out of the magazine came the inaugural Cherry Bombe Jubilee, a daylong conference about females and food. While I wasn't able to attend during the day, I was beyond thrilled to join in the evening.

Let's just say this was one of the best cocktail parties I've ever attended - check out the menu below:

After-party food menu, photo by Shana Sokol, Shana Speaks Wine

And of course, the wines were impeccable. Four top female sommeliers selected two wines each, each unique and creating a unique and well-rounded tasting experience. The story behind each wine is so compelling it's better to show a picture of the wine menu that explains their appeal:

Wine menu page 1, photo by Shana Sokol, Shana Speaks Wine

Wine menu page 2, photo by Shana Sokol, Shana Speaks Wine

Did you note the commonality with all these wines? They were all made by women winemakers.

The conversation will continue but it's moments like this party, where we can stop and celebrate all that's been done so far, that will keep the discussion fresh.